Inclusive education is a developmental approach seeking to address the learning needs of all children, youth and adults with a specific focus on those who are vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion. Inclusive education cannot be developed in isolation from overall school development. It cannot be seen as a specific issue, but must be regarded as an approach to the development of the entire school system. Moreover, the concept of ‘children with special educational needs’ extends beyond those who may be included in handicapped categories to cover those who are failing in school for a wide variety of other reasons that are known to be likely to impede a child’s optimal progress. Whether or not this more broadly defined group of children are in need of additional support depends on the extent to which schools need to adapt their curriculum, teaching and organization and/or to provide additional human or material resources so as to stimulate efficient and effective learning for these pupils.
Children’s Resources International, Pakistan has been involved in training teachers for special education. Master teacher trainers had trained teachers from all over Pakistan in collaboration with National Institute of Special Education (NISE), H-8. NISE have organized trainings for all basic needs which includes hearing impaired, visual impaired, physical impaired and MR (mentally handicapped) children. CRI has been a part of three trainings so far. These trainings started in January, 2006 and till date around 70 teachers from all the provinces for special educations have been trained in interactive teaching methodology. The techniques are the same as for normal children but teachers have modified according to the needs and requirements of a particular need. The teachers marked “Morning Meeting”, an important ingredient of CRI methodology, as the “back bone” for the development of four domains in a child which are physical, social, cognitive and emotional development.
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